Classroom Management Plan

Teaching Philosphy

I believe every student deserves a teacher who is motivated, patient, and empathetic. With that being said, I am determined to make it my duty to inspire and encourage students to learn by radiating a positive and kind attitude around my students. Educators are learners just as much as they are teachers. An effective teacher should have a thirst for knowledge and must take advantage of their environment that is dedicated to constantly learning. Being a great teacher means going beyond simply delivering content material to students. It means creating a learning environment that is safe, supportive, and inclusive for all learners. Growing up I had some amazing teachers who had the ability to engage me in absolutely any subject no matter how boring I thought it was. These are the people who inspired me to follow my own teaching path. Ultimately, being a great teacher is about making a positive impact on the lives of students, helping them to not only succeed academically but also develop into well-rounded individuals.

Classroom Blueprint

Ideally I would like my students to be seated at tables of 4-5 to promote collaboration and group discussion. I believe there are numerous benefits that come from a collaborative learning environment some of which include communication, leadership skills, and self management. These are skills to be developing in an elementary level classroom, and giving students the opportunity to hone in on these skills is the key to a healthy classroom environment and academic success. I would also love to have a little designated “comfy corner" in the classroom for whole group discussions and reading time. Having a rug in the classroom is a great place for students to gather in the mornings and at the end of the day, and allows the class to reflect as a group. This would also be a great place to conduct IRA’s (interactive read alouds), and story times.

Consequences

If any of these rules are broken I will give the student a verbal warning/reminder about our classroom policies. I will have these rules listed on a poster in the classroom visible to all students to serve as a reminder of how to behave appropriately in the classroom. If a student’s behavior consistently fails to meet these expectations I will have a conference with that student and if need be I will bring the matter to the principal and the parents of the student. I will first contact the student's parents by email/letter and if further action is needed I will set up a conference with the parents to discuss the student’s behavior and how we can go about monitering/adjusting it so that it meets the classroom expectations.

Incentives

The lottery jar: This is something I have seen modeled in one of my field experience classrooms. The teacher has a glass jar and everytime a child behaves well or does a good job on an assignment she will award them with a lottery ticket (a ticket with their name on it). This ticket will be placed in the jar and at the end of each day the teacher will pull 2-3 lottery tickets from the jar. The child’s name who is pulled will receive some kind of reward, whether that's a piece of candy, a sticker, a special pencil, etc. I think this is a fun way to promote good behavior and work ethic in the classroom.

Building Classroom Community

Family engagement and building a sense of community in the classroom is imperative for a good learning environment. There are a number of different things I would like to incorporate into my classroom to foster a sense of belonging. They can be as easy as greeting each child as they come through the door each morning and holding morning circle/meetings. I think morning meetings are a great way to start the school day and the perfect way to build the classroom community. I recently came across the idea of having the students participate in “friendly Fridays' ', which is a simple way for them to lift themselves and each other up. Students would write a friendly, anonymous note to a classmate using positive self-talk, or storytelling to give a peer a pep talk. Another thing I've witnessed in the field is having daily shoutouts which is a quick way for students to celebrate each other for doing a job well done.

5 Teaching Strategies

Differentiated Instruction: In order to meet the diverse needs of all the students in the classroom, it is important for teachers to use differentiated instruction in order to accommodate these needs. This means providing multiple ways for students to learn and express their understanding. For example, a teacher might group students based on their level in any given subject, or assign different leveled text based on each student's reading level
Collaborative learning: This teaching strategy involves grouping students together to work on projects or assignments. This will help students develop social skills and communication skills as it gives them the opportunity to learn from one another and build positive relationships with their classmates.
Active learning approach: This strategy involves ctively engaging students in the learning process. This can involve hands-on activities, class discussions, and problem-solving tasks. I believe this is a great way to engage students in any given subject area, no matter how "boring" the content may be.
Technology integration: As technology continues to advance in our ever growing virtual world, it is important we take advantage of the online resources provided. This can include using educational apps, smartboards, laptops, and other digital resources.
Art integration: This teaching strategy involves a teaching approach that blends arts standards with essential academic content, helping students to establish deeper connections. This will no doubt benefit visual learners, and is something that I appreciated during my school experience as I love art and thrived whenever any subject had a creative element to it.

References

“10 Effective DAP Teaching Strategies.” NAEYC, www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/dap/10-effective-dap-teaching-strategies. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
“As a New Teacher, What Do You Need to Know about Managing Student Behavior?” IRIS Center, iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/beh2_elem/cresource/q1/p01/. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
“A Classroom Management Plan for Elementary School Teachers.” Centervention®, www.centervention.com/classroom-management-plan/. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
Elia, Sarah. “Enhancing Collaboration between Classroom Teachers and Ell Specialists.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 14 Nov. 2023, www.edutopia.org/article/working-english-language-learning-specialists-school.
“Free Blended, Self-Paced, Mastery-Based PD, Built by Teachers.” Modern Classrooms Project, www.modernclassrooms.org/?utm_term=teaching+strategies&hsa_acc=2617499944&hsa_cam=13700988923&hsa_grp=124481267676&hsa_ad=531427828519&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-297465363001&hsa_kw=teaching+strategies&hsa_mt=p&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
“How Do You Develop an Effective Behavior Management Plan?” IRIS Center, iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/beh2_elem/cresource/q2/p04/. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
Person. “10 Powerful Instructional Strategies.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 30 Nov. 2011, www.edutopia.org/stw-school-turnaround-student-engagement-video.
“Resources and Technology.” Columbia CTL, ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/teaching-online/community-building/. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
“Strategies for Teaching.” Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, poorvucenter.yale.edu/FacultyResources/Teaching-Strategies. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
Worrell, Juliana, et al. “Are Students Learning, Growing, and Thriving? Building a Community of Learners.” Uncommon Schools, 30 Mar. 2021, uncommonschools.org/uncommon-sense/are-students-learning-growing-thriving/?utm_campaign=googlegrant&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmNeqBhD4ARIsADsYfTeu25_cEoZszj3SLTnmvs04QkvnP95SzRWxE_SBwK2s0-jXLh_DJJEaAu_kEALw_wcB.

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